


to be with you

by klari19



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Coffee Shops, M/M, Mistaken for Being in a Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 08:13:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9313070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klari19/pseuds/klari19
Summary: “Well, you’re taking your sweet time with your boyfriend,” Lance’s unmistakable voice says from behind Keith.Keith’s eyes widen as he turns on his heel to face Lance, all the while hearing Shiro choke on his own spit behind him.“We--we’re not dating!” Keith sputters, bewildered.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [starticker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/starticker/gifts).



> Hello Starticker!!
> 
> I'm finishing and posting this from the airport, so I really hope it doesn't seem too rushed! I'm very sorry I could only include one of your requests, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless! Happy 2017!! -Clara
> 
> (Keith is 19 and Shiro is 25.)

Working at a coffee shop isn’t new for Keith. He’s been there for almost a year already, has made all the mistakes everyone does at their first job, and has learned how to serve the clients properly. What’s new, however, is having to deal with a recently-hired co-worker who talks way too much and makes way too many lame jokes, and who doesn’t even relent as much as Keith rolls his eyes at him and sighs in exasperation—at the terrible jokes, mostly.

The worst thing about it all is that it has only been two days of working together. Keith can’t even imagine what it’ll be like to work daily, and for a prolonged period, with this Lance dude. But just as the annoyance begins creeping into Keith's mind, his weekly regular from thursdays pushes open the front door and nods at him with a small smile, a courteous  _ hello _ on his lips. Suddenly, Keith’s afternoon at the shop doesn’t seem too bad anymore.

Keith doesn’t even bother with verbally interrupting Lance in his unending stream of talk, and immediately moves to the entrance to assist the disabled ex-military man—as it has become routine between the two of them.

“Hey! Why’d you—I wasn’t done, you know?!” Lance protests from behind Keith’s back.

Keith doesn’t reply to that. Greeting a customer is his top priority after all, and Lance should probably learn a bit about that.

“Good afternoon, Mister Shirogane,” Keith greets, slipping his fingers around the collar of the man’s coat and helping him shrug it off, careful not to disturb the prosthesis attached to his right arm.

The man chuckles softly. “I’ve told you already, it’s Shiro,” he says.

Keith smiles as he hangs the coat on the rack by the door. “Fine… Mister Shiro.” He hears the man chuckle again and sigh gently beside him.

Leaving Shiro behind for him to go to his usual seat, Keith moves behind the bar to prepare the man’s usual order.

“Uh. Hello?” Lance says upon his arrival behind the counter. He has an eyebrow quirked and a hand in the air, questioning. “I was telling you the funniest story ever, and you left! Rude.”

“I have more important things to do,” Keith replies, busying himself with the coffee machine.

“Oh, I see…” Lance says—and there’s something in his tone which Keith can’t put his finger on, but which doesn’t sound too good. “Well, I’ll leave you to your ‘important things’ and go have fun with other people. Yo, Hunk! Pidge! Let me tell you something…” And then he’s off, walking towards the other workers who are either busy with customers or with shop chores.

Keith shakes his head, pitying his poor co-workers as he finishes dripping the coffee and putting in the milk. He drops one spoon of brown sugar into the drink, and adds the shop’s trademark pastry beside the mug on the plate. It’s what Shiro always takes, and the one order Keith has managed to adapt perfectly to his customer’s tastes. 

When he goes to serve Shiro his order, Keith finds him at his usual spot by the window. The man’s gaze is directed outside; he’s stroking his prosthesis absentmindedly as he watches the small snowflakes starting to fall lazily down the clouded gray sky on the other side of the glass. There’s a sort of… longing on his features, but for what, Keith doesn’t know.

“Here you go,” Keith murmurs as he comes close, softening his voice as he has learned to do so as not to scare the man. He places the plate down on the table in front of Shiro, who turns his gaze to him and smiles.

“Thank you,” he says, picking up his mug and blowing at the steaming liquid. “I know I’ve told you already, but it's very nice to come here. Just getting out of my apartment is… It feels very good.” He pauses, a smile on his lips as he looks up. “And seeing a… friendly face like yours is nice, too.”

Keith feels a bit of color rise to his cheeks at that, and tightens his hold on the serving plate pressed against his abdomen. 

“I--you’re always welcome here… Shiro,” he says.

“I know,” Shiro replies, eyes crinkled by his blinding smile. “Thank you.”

Keith bows his head, not knowing what to say other than, “Let me know if you need anything,” to what Shiro nods before Keith turns around.

Back at the counter, Keith finds Lance, Hunk and Pidge whispering to each other. He frowns as he goes past them, but doesn’t ask any questions. 

“So, how old is he?” Lance asks, just as Keith begins cleaning the coffee machine. Keith hums questioningly, not knowing what Lance is referring to. “The man you just served, I mean.”

“Why do you need to know?”

“Does that mean  _ you _ know?” Lance asks, and when Keith looks at him he’s waggling his brows. 

Pidge snorts beside him. “Of course he knows. Don’t you, Keith?”

“Come on, Keith,” Hunk says, tipping his head to the side with a gentle smile on his lips.

“I--I do…” he replies, uncertain. He looks at Hunk, Pidge, and Lance back and forth, confused. “Why is it important to you, though?” He asks Lance.

Lance shrugs. “Well, I don’t know. Just curious, I guess.”

As Pidge and Hunk go to the front to meet the incoming customers, Keith frowns while looking at their backs. And then frowns a little a Lance, too.

“...He’s twenty-five,” Keith replies after a while, looking back at the coffee machine.

Lance hums. “Seems like a good man,” he says then, and for the first time since he met him two days ago, Keith hears seriousness in his voice. But when he looks at him once more, that goofy smile is there again. 

Keith turns his gaze back at Shiro, who is sipping at his coffee while looking out the window again. “He is,” he replies, unable to help smiling around his words. 

***

After a while, Shiro raises his hand to catch Keith’s attention. Once Keith sees him, he smiles and waves at him, and Keith knows what to do. 

A moment later, Keith is back at Shiro’s table with his receipt in hand. He takes the bills from Shiro’s hand, their fingertips brushing for the slightest second but making sparks fly through Keith’s veins nonetheless, and fishes for the coins inside his apron pocket. 

“Keep it,” Shiro says, as he always does. 

“Thank you,” Keith murmurs. Shiro is his best tipper, and Keith appreciates the small gestures a lot. “You know, you’re always welcome here. I mean, all the time.” He’s not sure why he’s saying that, but he doesn’t take it back.

Shiro smiles, lips stretching wide and pushing his cheeks up, making the large scar across his nose stretch a little. 

Keith feels breathless for a second. 

“I know,” Shiro says. “And I might...take you up on that offer. Just need to know when you work,” he adds, softly.

Keith averts his gaze, fearing that he might be swept into Shiro’s gaze if he keeps looking at him. Not that he would mind. “I--uh, I work here all afternoon on mondays, thursdays, and saturdays,” he stutters.

“Great,” Shiro whispers. 

When Keith looks back at Shiro, the man is still gazing at him, smiling. Keith can’t help but feel his own lips curl up at the sides as warmth pools inside his chest.

“Well, you’re taking your sweet time with your boyfriend,” Lance’s unmistakable voice says from behind Keith. 

Keith’s eyes widen as he turns on his heel to face Lance, all the while hearing Shiro choke on his own spit behind him.

“We--we’re not dating!” Keith sputters, bewildered.

“Wait, you’re not?!” Lance says, confusion falling over his features. He turns to gaze over to the counter. “You told me they were together!”

Keith looks at the counter, too, and finds Hunk and Pidge struggling to contain their giggles. He feels his cheeks and ears become unbearably hot as he turns back to Shiro.

“I’m--so sorry,” he says. “My co-workers--” he makes a vague hand gesture, “--ugh. I’m really sorry.”

But Shiro shakes his head. “It’s fine,” he says, although his cheeks seem to be dusted with pink, too. He waits until Lance’s shrilling voice is far away, Pidge’s and Hunk’s laughter echoing in the distance. “Though, um… I can't say I don’t wish that was true.”

“I swear it won’t happ--what?” Keith blinks.

Shiro scratches the back of his head, avoiding Keith’s gaze. Keith sees him swallow with difficulty, as if uncertain about how to continue. He has half a mind to realize that he should probably say something, but he doesn’t know why. He’s not even sure he knows how to speak anymore.

After a few moments, Shiro looks back at Keith. His pupils are a little dilated--in fear? Joy? Uncertainty? Excitement? Keith has no idea--and he looks like he’s about to start shaking. 

“Will you, um.” Shiro clears his throat, swallows again, and presses his prosthetic over his very much shaking human hand. “Will you go out with me, Keith?”

Keith blinks. Time seems to stop for a while as he gazes (and gapes) at Shiro’s expectant eyes. His entire world seems to narrow and widen in less than a second, and he feels like his chest has become too tight to properly contain his heart and lungs.

“Yes,” Keith whispers. Well, he didn’t exactly hear himself say anything, but he’s pretty sure that it's what he said. “Yes,” he repeats for good measure, louder.

And if Keith had to choose a sight to see for the rest of his days, it would be Shiro’s smile in that moment. 

“Keith! Go back to work, please!” the manager says from the back.

“Ah, I’m sorry Miss Allura. It’s my fault,” Shiro says.

“Oh! It’s no problem in that case. Did you ask him out yet?” she asks, her voice carrying over the whole shop and raising a few heads.

“Miss Allura!” Shiro exclaims, ducking his head as Keith gapes--again.

“You asked him! And from what I see, he said yes! Everyone, Keith said yes!” Allura shouts into the shop, and a roar of cheers resounds in the small space. Keith’s mouth opens and closes as he feels warmth steadily flood his cheeks. “Oh my, I need to tell Coran about this,” Allura says, all joy and excitement, as she goes back through the door leading to the small management office. 

Keith blinks, staring dumbly at Shiro who is looking up at him through his fingers--five human and five metal ones--, his cheeks very red behind his palms. “Did--did everyone…?” Keith whispers, trailing off at the end.

“Apparently, yes,” Shiro finishes, putting his hands down on the table and clearing his throat. “I think, uh… your co-workers made bets, even.” he says, breathing a laugh as he jerks his chin towards the counter behind which Pidge is holding a victorious fist in the air, Hunk looking defeated.

Keith can't help but shake his head in disbelief, putting his hands down on the tabletop as well, to keep himself steady and upright under the rush of emotions. He lets out a soft gasp when he feels Shiro’s hand slowly, hesitantly, cover his own and squeeze gently. He smiles at Shiro, unable to express his happiness with words.

“I’m going to go,” Shiro says after a moment, though he sounds reluctant. “I don’t want to keep you from working any longer.”

Keith nods and steps aside, letting Shiro stand up. He walks him back to the entrance and helps him put his coat back on, like he always does.

Once he’s ready to go, Shiro slips his fingers between Keith’s and leans in to press a quick kiss to Keith’s cheek, robbing him of his breath as he does. “I’ll come by on saturday,” he whispers into Keith’s ear, and lightly squeezes his fingers between his own before letting go. 

“I’ll be here,” Keith responds, drowning in Shiro’s affectionate gaze and choking on his own emotions.

Shiro departs with a warm, gentle, and joyful smile. Keith waves at him, thinking that he can’t wait to see that smile again, before going back to the counter--realizing belatedly that he should have braced himself for a hurricane of questions.

But with the promise of seeing Shiro again on saturday, and everything that entitles, a war could start in the city in that moment and Keith wouldn’t be bothered.

**Author's Note:**

> Some further info about this little AU:
> 
> Shiro is an ex-military man who was forced to retire after he lost his arm while in captivity during a war. He lives alone in a tiny apartment, and his only social activity is going to see Keith at the coffee shop every thursday.
> 
> Keith quit school and ran away from home at 16. He was taken in by Allura at 18, and has been working at her coffee shop ever since. Thursday is his favorite day at work.
> 
> I hope it was enjoyable despite the short length!


End file.
